


24 Hours

by RocknVaughn



Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Gen, Pre-Relationship, Spoilers, canon AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-08-27
Packaged: 2018-04-17 12:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4666662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocknVaughn/pseuds/RocknVaughn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a policewoman shows up at the Hawkins' door, Joe tells everyone to stay calm and he'll handle it. Little did he know that opening his door to her would be the start of something sinister; something that could put the lives of both the Elster and the Hawkins families in the balance. </p><p>When Mattie puts herself in harm's way for the Elsters' sake, it takes a combined effort to try to save her from Hobb's clutches before it's too late. </p><p>Canon AU beginning at 1x07. Spoilers through the first series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	24 Hours

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know...another story when there are three others waiting for updates... *hides*

*010101010*

 

 

“Police,” announced Fred as he watched out the front window of the Hawkins home.

Everyone turned to stare at the synth with varying shades of concern on their faces.

Finally, Joe broke the silence. “Okay. Everybody just stay calm. Laur?”

Laura stepped into the family room, Mia trailing behind her. “What’s going on?”

“Police are here,” Joe answered tersely.

Niska hurried into the room. “I saw the car.”

“One policewoman at the front door,” Fred reported.

“Don’t answer,” Mattie pleaded, sharing a look with Leo from where they sat side by side at Max’s feet in front of her computer.

A fierce look crossed Niska’s features. “I can deal with it.”

But Joe put up his hands in a calming gesture and said, “ _I’ll_ answer it. I’ll speak to her alone. The rest of you just…stay put.”

Leo made as if to follow, but Mia grabbed him by the arm and hissed, “This is their home, not ours!” With that reminder, he stepped back, listened, and waited.

“Joseph Hawkins?” the policewoman asked as Joe answered the door.

“Yeah.”

“Is this the residence of—” she pulled out a notebook and flipped it open, “—Matilda Hawkins?”

In the family room, Laura had to cover her gasp of fear and shock with a hand whilst the Elsters shared pregnant looks of dread between them. Meanwhile, Mattie had to place her hand on the table to steady her suddenly wobbly knees.

“Y—yes,” Joe answered, his voice faultered over the word from nerves.

The policewoman nodded once and put her notebook away. “Is she at home? I need to speak with her, Mr. Hawkins.”

Leo glanced at Mattie’s face, which had turned ghostly pale. He swallowed hard and then met Mia’s concerned emerald eyes.

“What…now?” Joe hedged.

The policewoman turned and nodded once toward the squad car and a male officer emerged from it and came to stand on the stoop a step behind his partner. “Please don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be, Mr. Hawkins. “

Joe didn’t dare move from blocking the doorway, so he called over his shoulder, “Mattie? Would you come here a minute?”

Leo murmured forcefully, “This is Hobb’s doing. He’s trying to get to us through her. I'm sure of it.”

“I thought you said we were safe?” Laura accused hotly. She pointed toward the door and hissed, “That doesn’t seem very safe!”

“Mum!” Mattie scolded, “don't blame Leo for this! I wanted to help them. And it’s not his fault ; it's Hobb’s!”

Joe’s voice filtered in over their whispered argument. “Matts?” Everyone could hear the desperation in his voice. Time was running out.

As Leo bent down and started frantically searching through his backpack, Mia rested a hand on Mattie’s arm. “I'm so sorry, Mattie,” she murmured, her countenance sad, but understanding. “We never meant to put you in harm’s way.”

Mattie closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I know you didn’t.”

Laura stepped forward, blocking Mattie’s path. “Mattie…”

But Mattie shook her head. “No. I have to, Mum; otherwise the police will find them. This way, they’ll still have a chance to escape.” She took both her mother’s hands in her own and reassured her, “24 hours is all they can hold me for without charging me, right?”

Laura nodded.

“Then don’t worry about it. Hobb isn’t going to want to go public about them, so there’ll be no charges. And I can withstand _anything_ for 24 hours,” she said, aiming a tremulous smile at her mother.

“Mr. Hawkins…” the policewoman warned tersely, obviously done with being patient.

“I’m coming…” Mattie called out. But before she could take a step, Leo grasped her arm and turned her to face him.

“Take this and hide it well,” he commanded in a whisper, opening her sweaty palm and dropping the chip from his mobile into it. “That way, no matter where Hobb brings you, I’ll be able to find your location. We’ll get you out of there, Mattie. I promise,” he vowed.

Mattie stared into Leo’s deep blue eyes for a moment and then nodded before unceremoniously shoving the chip down the front of her shirt and tucking it inside the material of her bra.

Then, even though she felt as if she were about to pass out, she turned and climbed the steps out of the room and rounded the corner to face the officers at the door. As she stood next to him, Joe reached out and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. Mattie looked up at him and he gave her a stoic nod as if to say, _Don’t worry…It’ll be over soon._

While Mattie appreciated the effort, she thought that Leo had the right of it: whatever was going on here, Professor Edwin Hobb was bound to be at the root of it, and that didn’t bode well for any of them. She cleared her throat and made eye contact with the female officer. “I’m Mattie Hawkins,” she announced.

The police officer stepped across the threshold and unhooked a set of handcuffs from her belt. “Matilda Hawkins,” she recited from rote as she turned Mattie around, “You’re under arrest for aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice.”

As the first cuff clacked around Mattie’s wrist, Joe protested, “Now, wait a minute! You said you just wanted to talk to her!”

“And we will, sir,” the police officer responded, “down at the station.”

Mattie tried not to panic as she felt the other cuff cinch around her wrist, pinning her arms behind her. “You do not have to say anything,” the officer continued as she turned Mattie toward the door and indicated with a hand that Mattie was to walk toward the squad car, “but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?”

Woodenly, Mattie nodded and stepped out onto the stoop.

“But she’s not even eighteen yet!” Joe complained.

“She does not have to be of age to face charges, Mr. Hawkins.”

Mattie peered over her shoulder at her very worried father and said, “It’ll be all right, Dad,” and let the officers escort her to the car and open the back door for her to climb into. It was a lot more difficult to do with her center of gravity messed up because of her bound hands, so she was actually grateful for the woman’s hand on her arm as she sat down and scooted across the bench seat.

As the female officer slid in to sit beside her, Mattie glanced back at the house. Because she was looking for them, she could just make out Fred’s glittering green eyes peering through the slats of the window shade, and, despite everything, it made her smile. No matter what was about to happen to her, she would gladly endure it if it meant that Leo and the others could escape.

Even if it meant being held against her will by the man that wanted the Elster family dead.


End file.
